By – Corinne
We booked the Mount Batur night trek and Sekumpul Waterfalls trip during our stay in Bali, and it turned out to be a very full but memorable day.
We were picked up from our hotel in Seminyak at around 1am and travelled to Mount Batur. The journey was quite long, and we tried to get some sleep on the way, although this was slightly hampered by Bali’s bouncy roads!
We started the trek at around 3am with a local guide who lived in the area. The pace was quite fast and, although we considered ourselves reasonably fit, we were pretty knackered by the time we reached the top. It was chilly at the summit, but waiting there for the sunrise was absolutely worth it. The views were amazing, and we were even given coffee, banana sandwiches and hard boiled eggs cooked using the hot steam from the volcano, which was a really nice touch.
Coming back down was much easier and we enjoyed the beautiful views along the way. We also passed local villages and saw some playful monkeys, which added to the experience.
After Mount Batur, we continued towards Sekumpul Waterfalls. We met another local guide who actually lived in the village surrounding the waterfalls. This made the experience feel much more personal, as we were not simply visiting as tourists but also got to experience a little of the local area and village life.
We chose the short trek to the waterfalls, which took about an hour. By this point we were already tired from the very early start and the Mount Batur trek, so the shorter option was perfect for us. There were also medium and long trekking options available, which I imagine would be breathtaking for those with more energy!
At the waterfalls, we had time to swim in the water and enjoy the scenery. We also got to sample plant-made pancakes, saw a banana spider and later had a filling Indonesian lunch. After such an early start, the lunch was very welcome.
Our driver was polite, friendly and arrived on time. He waited for us between the different activities, which made the long day much easier and more comfortable.
By the time we returned to our hotel, we had been out for around 18 hours, so it was certainly a long day, but we felt the experience was well worth it. The combination of the Mount Batur sunrise, local guides, villages, jungle scenery and Sekumpul Waterfalls made this one of the more memorable days of our Bali trip.
The price was reasonable considering how much was included and how long we were out for. We would highly recommend this company and the trip, particularly for anyone looking for an active Bali adventure combining Mount Batur and the waterfalls.
